I was listening to a GP who was being interviewed on a television programme talking about burn out and what he was saying appeared to make a lot of sense and for me was food for thought.
Lockdown and the consequences of it has proved challenging for most of us I believe, with many of us not being able to go to our normal place of work. I am sure this has been difficult for many, employers and employees alike, with pressure to continue to offer whatever service they provide effectively whilst keeping people safe.
Working from home possibly has its benefits for some, I have joked with quite a few people about how online meetings generally only call for sartorial elegance from the waist up, so sales of pyjama bottoms I imagine increased dramatically before Christmas.
The technology required to allow people to work from home can be a challenge for many and when it does not work can cause quite a lot of frustration.
What the GP in the interview was suggesting was that working from home offers an invitation to not keep to usual working hours. When our home becomes our office, it can be hard to separate our work responsibilities from our family life. Making that extra phone call or writing a couple more emails or finishing that report, outside of normal office hours, can increase the risk of a detrimental effect on mental health and relationships.
There can be a temptation, when professional and domestic roles overlap, to neglect partners, children and our own emotional wellbeing. It can take self-discipline to put the work stuff out of sight and out of mind when the evidence of your job role remains very much in evidence at home.
If you feel that you are witnessing your partner becoming too immersed in work or if you are feeling neglected because they are making work their priority, maybe it is worth mentioning it to them. Hopefully, they will listen and consider how working longer hours might be affecting both themselves and their family.
For single parents juggling work life and home life can be stressful, the responsibilities and pressures of parenting and running a home are many and varied and if there is no partner available to recognise when work is becoming too significant with too many hours being dedicated to it, burn out can become a reality.
Maybe a resolution for the new year can be to enjoy the benefits of working from home but be responsible, keep to usual working hours and leave enough time for yourself, your partner and any children.
If you have any questions about relationship or family breakdown, separation or divorce then please do contact Brethertons family team on 01788 579579 where one of our lawyers will be happy to advise you.